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Madigan Family Medicine Clinic introduces new team-based care

Some primary care providers may have moved locations

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The first week of July will bring noticeable changes to nearly 23,000 Madigan Healthcare System patients. Patients enrolled in Madigan Army Medical Center's Family Medicine Clinic and their health care providers will reorganize July 2 into six teams created to improve patient-provider continuity.

Each team, bearing the name of a bird, will comprise a group of health care professionals and approximately 1,500 to 5,500 patients.

The opportunity for patients to consistently work with the same team of health care professionals is just one objective the clinic needs to accomplish on its journey toward the Patient-Centered Medical Home model of care, a change taking place across Army Medicine that aims to improve many aspects of the patient experience.

"There are a lot of things taking place behind the scenes, but the reorganization will be the most noticeable - at least initially," Danny Combs, an administrative officer at Madigan, said. "Patients should see more changes as we implement Patient-Centered Medical Home, but right now we need to make sure they know which team they're on."

While preparing for the reorganization, the Family Medicine Clinic staff was able to keep nearly all of its patients matched up to their original provider, but for some the reorganization means their primary care manager will move to a different location.

Fortunately, for relocated patients their team will be in the same general area since the clinic will remain nested on the ground floor of the Madigan Army Medical Center Medical Mall.

"We're trying to let the patients know about the new teams before they show up for an appointment, but we're also doing a few things here at Madigan just in case they're caught off guard," Combs said. "There will be new signs, posts on Madigan's Facebook page, and posters listing providers by their new team."

The clinic is also considering enlisting the help of a staff member or volunteer in the medical mall to direct patients to the Eagle, Falcon, Jay, Heron, Cardinal and Swan team locations.

"It's important that we make the transition as easy as possible even though it's more of a shuffle than a move," Combs said. "The Family Medicine Clinic will have the same three locations in the medical mall, but the teams are moving around within those three areas."

Once the staff and patients settle into the rearranged family medicine clinic, the focus will move to other patient-centered initiatives.

One of the initiatives is secure messaging, a service widely available through civilian health care organization that allows patients to converse with their health care team online via email. Patients can also use the service to order prescription refills, view lab results, and receive educational materials tailored to their specific needs.

For more information on the new teams in Madigan's family medicine clinic or to learn more about secure messaging for patients enrolled in the family medicine clinic please call 968-0770 or visit the clinic's Web page at www.mamc.amedd.army.mil/famprac/fp.htm.

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